


Head Boy

by torestoreamends



Category: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, M/M, Malfoy Family Feels, Post-Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 03:41:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9953468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torestoreamends/pseuds/torestoreamends
Summary: Scorpius’s seventh year letter from Hogwarts contains an unexpected piece of good news, and Draco has never been prouder.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by Abradystrix.

The letter arrives while Scorpius is stuffing himself with waffles and Draco is tutting over that morning's edition of the Daily Prophet. A tawny owl soars in through the open kitchen window and alights on the table, holding its leg out.

Draco glances up from the paper. "That'll be your book list, then. We can visit Diagon Alley tomorrow. That's when Potter's going." His eyes flicker back to the article he's reading. "Speaking of Potter, why does he have to be such an imbecile? You'd have thought someone who'd made it to his position would be competent, wouldn't you? But apparently not. I mean look at this mess. This is the fifth night of well-publicised raids. Anyone with anything to hide will be long gone by now." 

Scorpius finishes chewing his waffle, licks the strawberry juice off his fingers, and goes to wash his hands. When he comes back he brings a dish of water for the owl and lets it have a drink while he detaches his letter.

He feels oddly emotional as he stares down at the envelope. This is his seventh booklist from Hogwarts. The last one he'll ever get. After this year he'll move on to other things. School will be over. 

He can still remember how excited he was about getting his first letter. He'd waited all summer for it, sitting on the front doorstep of the Manor every single morning, staring up into the bright blue sky, terrified it would never come. And when it finally arrived he'd been so excited. His hands had shaken as he'd torn it open and read those words: 

_Dear Mr Malfoy,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

He'd been waiting to read them his whole life, and there they finally were. Right in front of him. Joy had flooded through him, the most complete joy he'd ever felt in his life, and he'd looked up at his mum and dad and grinned, because _he was going to Hogwarts._

He turns the seventh year letter over in his hands, looking at the seal with the school crest on it, at the familiar, curling emerald lettering of his address. He runs his fingers over the thick parchment, enjoying the way it feels. He's going to savour this moment, the start of his final year.

"Any interesting books?" His dad asks, glancing over the top of the paper again.

"I haven't opened it yet," Scorpius replies. "But I asked Professor Flitwick at the end of last year and he said we'd be using The Enchanters' Manual this year. I've been wanting to get my hands on a copy of that for years." He sighs happily at the thought, and his dad smiles. 

"I'm surprised you haven't stolen your mother's old copy yet."

"Oh I did," Scorpius says. "Years ago. But it's an old edition. I believe it's been extensively updated since then. And I didn't want to spoil the sense of achievement for myself by getting a new one before seventh year." 

His dad gives a fond shake of his head and disappears back behind the newspaper once more. 

Scorpius looks down at his letter. He can't really put it off much longer. And he is _very_ curious about the booklist for this year. He turns the envelope over in his hand one final time, takes a breath, and splits the seal open. 

He squeezes the envelope in at both ends, so he can see all the papers inside arranged in wafer thin rows. There's something lumpy in there too, but he can't quite see it properly, and he has no idea what it could be. It can't be a Prefect badge because he already has one of those, and he doesn't need a new one. 

One by one he picks each of the sheets of parchment from the envelope and spreads them into a neat pile on the table. Then he upends the envelope and gives it a shake, not wanting to miss anything. 

Something clatters across the wooden surface of the table, dancing away from Scorpius and towards Draco's coffee mug. 

"What's this?" His dad folds up the paper and reaches for the little silver badge that's now lying on the tabletop. 

Scorpius stares at it in disbelief and shakes his head. "I don't know-" he says, and his voice comes out as an embarrassing squeak. There's only one badge that's given out at the start of seventh year, but it can't have been given to him. There are so many other people. Karl from Hufflepuff, or that guy Josh from Gryffindor... they're both Prefects. They're both smart. They're both leaders. And isn't that what you want from a Head Boy? Scorpius has certainly never been a leader. And yet... 

Draco picks the badge off the table and stares down at it. Scorpius gazes across the table at him, trying to work out what he's thinking. His dad is so unreadable that it's nearly impossible. But there's definitely something. A flicker of disbelief. A widening of the eyes. He blinks once. Twice. And then a slow, proud smile begins to curl across his lips and he looks up at Scorpius. 

"Here," he says, holding it out. "I believe this is yours." 

Fingers trembling, Scorpius reaches out and takes the badge. It's very cool as he lets it roll into his palm, where it lies face up. Green and silver, with a faint snake pattern in the background, and the ornate words 'Head Boy' curling across it. 

Scorpius stares down at it, lost for words. 

"But I'm not-" he tries. "There are other-" He looks up at his dad. "Head Boy?" 

Draco's face breaks into a beaming smile. "Congratulations." 

"I don't understand," Scorpius whispers, in complete shock. "I'm not Head Boy material."

"Apparently Professor McGonagall disagrees," his dad says, smile widening even further. He gets to his feet. "I think a celebration is in order. Shall we invite the Potters? And I know Daphne has been desperate for a party for weeks. We might have to stock up on champagne..." 

Scorpius doesn't move. He's still staring at his badge, a little glow of warmth flickering into existence somewhere around his heart. It spreads slowly through him, pride and happiness blossoming in his chest, until finally he looks up at his dad and grins. "I'm Head Boy. Me."

His dad stops halfway through a rant about crystal champagne flutes, and looks round at him. The broad smile on his face transforms into something more serious,  but no less warm, and he walks across and leans against the back of one of the kitchen chairs, looking at Scorpius. "You deserve it," he says, and Scorpius knows he means it with his whole heart. "After everything you've been through. I would have been proud of you for simply surviving, but you've flourished." 

Scorpius shrugs and ducks his head, embarrassed. "I like school. I do well because I enjoy it. There's so much to learn, you know?" 

Draco waves a dismissive hand. "I'm not just talking about your grades. They're excellent, of course, but it's a lot more than that. It's the other things. Your kindness, bravery, resilience. Your friendship with Albus. Your integrity." He shifts his hands on the back of the chair and gives Scorpius a small smile. "You remind me more and more of your mother every day. She was Head Girl, you know, in her final year." 

He smirks. "The two of you are the goody two-shoes' of the family." 

Scorpius snorts. "You say that like I didn't almost get expelled from school for stealing an illegal Time-Turner and destroying the world." 

"Well, we all make mistakes," Draco smiles, and Scorpius hops up from his seat, grinning. He sets the badge down on the table so he doesn't drop it, then bounces across the kitchen and hugs his dad.

"Can we invite everyone round tonight?" He asks, then a better thought strikes him and he pulls away, flailing his hands. "Ooo, and can we have ice cream sundaes in Diagon Alley tomorrow? And can Albus stay over tonight? I could go and ask him now."

"Go on," his dad says, with an amused sigh. "I can't really say no to anything you ask for right now."

"Does that mean I can have that new racing broom?" Scorpius asks, mostly teasing, but also a little bit serious. The Gryffindor Seeker has a better one than him at the moment, and if they lose the Cup this year because of _that_... 

"I don't see why not."

"Yes!" Scorpius punches the air and sprints for the door. "I'm going to go and call Albus," he shouts over his shoulder.

"Have you forgotten something?" His dad calls after him. 

Scorpius skids to a halt in the tiled hallway outside the kitchen and goes running back. "Have I-" 

Draco waves the pieces of parchment at him and holds up the badge that Scorpius had left lying on the table. 

"Oh," Scorpius says, with a sheepish smile. "Whoops." He walks to his dad and takes the parchment, while Draco pins the badge to his t-shirt for him, adjusting it, then ruffling his hair and giving him a proud nod.

"Perfect." 

Scorpius beams and hugs his dad one final time, before dashing headlong from the room, utterly overjoyed. 


End file.
